


Little Red Grub

by duncecat



Category: FriendSim - Fandom, Hiveswap, Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Gen, apologies if any of the tags here are wrong, but if there are any issues please tell me and id be glad to fix it, discontinued until further notice, im new here and still learning how everything works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-23 03:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16610945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duncecat/pseuds/duncecat
Summary: Tyzias had always led a relatively normal life. That was until she was roped into a plot to change the fate of Alternia's future forever, through the fostering of a newborn mutant wiggler. Recognising the importance of the task and what it means for her society, she accepts. She'll need the help of her friends- both old and new- to ensure the wiggler has the best possible chance at surviving and thriving in this excessively violent world that it possibly could have.





	1. A Beginning

A young girl sat hunched over her elevated writing plateau. Her hair was messy, her glasses smudged, and her black claws tapped tiredly at the pages below her. Her blood was of the teal hue, and her mug, which was earlier filled to the brim with water, was now empty. The name of this young girl was Tyzias Entykk, and she planned on making a difference. Her eyes were heavy from sleep deprivation and her mind was foggy, but she didn’t allow herself to doze off. Her research was too important.

The papers scattered about the surface of the writing plateau would seem uninteresting to an outside observer. Just a bunch of assorted notes on various topics, scribbled onto whatever paper-based surface was nearby. Anybody who looked closer would realise this was not the case.

The notes described the history of the girl's planet, events from a past time that the oppressive had tried to erase from all records. It had taken a lot of effort for her to uncover all the information she now had haphazardly spread around her. It took just as much effort to keep it hidden.

One thing she had learned during her sweeps of research was that if a person wanted to learn something desperately enough, no amount of hiding could keep that information completely concealed. This is why she had to keep such a low profile about her interest in history. Knowing too much was grounds for culling. She knew this. And she knew that anybody who hated her enough would be able to arrange such a mishap.

_BZT!!!_

Tyzias realised suddenly that she’d begun dozing off, only because the abrupt noise of a palmhusk notification startled her back into full consciousness. She picked it up, drowsily skimming over the messages on the screen.

> ???: (i know about your research.)
> 
> ???: (don’t be alarmed, i do not plan on telling anybody else, even if you choose not to follow my instructions.)
> 
> ???: (however, i believe i have an offer that will interest you.)
> 
> ???: (if you wish to truly make a difference in this world, you will meet me with the next rising of the moons, at the closest garbage disposal to your hive.)

Tyzias stared at the message for a long moment. Her tired state was keeping her from thinking entirely rationally, and she was aware of this. She looked for some sign of where the messages had come from, but there didn’t seem to be any.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. It was almost certainly a prank from one of her coworkers. They’d just so happened to make it sound as if they knew what she was working on. But the messages hadn’t originated from any applications she owned and must have been uploaded directly to her palmhusk. Nobody she knew was adept enough at hacking to do this.

Perhaps somebody really had discovered what she was working on. If this was the case, then she was most certainly dead whether she chose to go or not. This thought suddenly made her feel much more despondent than she had in a long time. Could it really all be over, after all the hard work she’d put into researching the past and the ways she could change the future?

There was one other possibility. Maybe, just maybe, somebody out there really did want to help her make a difference. Somebody who knew about her somehow, and who trusted her to carry the future on her tired, drooping shoulders. That would be a lot of pressure.

She sighed again, unlocking her palmhusk, planning on finding a way to respond. She checked all her messaging applications but couldn’t find a trace of the sender. When she checked her notification tab again, the messages had disappeared. It seemed like the only way she could find out what this was about was to meet up at the designated place.

She looked around her respiteblock, finally noticing the messy state it was in. She couldn’t leave the place like this.

She began picking up her papers, sorting them into different piles depending on the time period of the source. The repetitive stacking motions were almost therapeutic, and if she wasn’t so excited it would have most certainly sent her to sleep. It wasn’t long before she had all the files sorted and hidden in a box only she knew the place of. Once that was tucked away where nobody else could find it, she was ready to leave. And so she did.

She closed the door to her hive behind her as she left, making no effort to fix her clothes or her hair. The local dump wasn’t too much of a walk away, although it wasn’t the most popular hang-out spot. Truth be told, it was kind of, well, a dump.

Tyzias looked down at her feet as she walked, her bloodpusher pumping in her chest. She started thinking about things she’d miss if these really were her last moments. She thought about Stelsa, and how sweet she’d been to her despite disagreeing with her political opinions. She never had turned her in despite their differences. She appreciated that. She thought about what the future held for the thousands of trolls she’d never met before, who she knew had it worse than her. She thought about what the future would hold for her colleagues. She talked shit about them a lot, but she knew deep down that she’d miss them, and they’d miss her too.

She raised her eyes from the pavement and to the neighbourhood around her. The sun would begin rising in just over an hour, and trolls from the neighbourhood had already begun taking refuge inside. Some of the less stressed trolls would even be getting comfortable in their recuperacoons around about now. She wondered silently to herself what it must be like, to live such a relatively danger-free life. Even if she survived this, it was very likely she’d never know.

And then she looked in front of her, where the garbage dump now stood. She looked up at the gates and the trash piles inside. She thought about how much she was going to regret this, took a deep breath and stepped in. Then suddenly, out of nowhere… nothing. Absolutely nothing happened. She waited five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen. She checked her palmhusk every couple of minutes to keep an eye on the passage of time and for some sign of another message. But all she found was nothing.

She got up to leave. And hour she’d waited now, doing nothing but checking the time and looking in piles of garbage. The sun would be rising soon, and she didn’t want to be still on her way back to her hive when it did. It really must have just been a prank by one of her classmates. She pocketed her palmhusk and huffed as she begun to exit before she heard a whisper. She couldn’t recognise any words, but there was definitely someone here. She listened for a few more seconds before turning very slowly.

“I heard you. Are you here? I got your message.” Surely enough, there was a rustling noise, and then a stout, soft looking troll stepped out from behind one of the piles. “You actually showed up. And even though I didn’t show myself for so long, you still persisted. You must be dedicated.”

“Were you only going to come out when I went to leave?”

The new girl nodded. “Yes, but only if you seemed to be committed enough for me to trust you with this.”

“Wait, before we continue. I don’t know your name.”

“You don’t need to know my name. But if it makes you more comfortable, it’s Boldir.” The girl, who Tyzias now knew the name of, reached into her thick coat, taking a hold of something she had hidden. Tyzias braced, still having her doubts. Her doubts were soon replaced with confusion, as the girl pulled out a vibrant red grub. It clicked its pincers as it looked up at her.

“Wh… What is this supposed to be?” Tyzias asked, caught completely off guard, though in reality, she already knew the answer.

“I have reason to believe this is the boy who will change the course of our planet's history. It is _imperative_ that you make sure he grows up safely. He’s-”

“The signless’ descendant,” interrupted Tyzias. She’d never imagined that she’d even live to see the day he was brought into the world. The girl nodded sagely.

“You want me to take care of him?” Tyzias asked, astonishment hinting at her usually monotonous voice. Then she repeated herself, this time more blatantly shocked. “You want me to take care of him?!” Her shock seemed to be entertaining to Boldir, as her lip perked up ever so slightly.

“You were the right troll. I’m certain of this. I know you won’t let us down.” The girl's confidence seemed to be contagious, as her words instilled a sense of confidence in Tyzias as well. She nodded.

“I trust you. Thanks for trusting me.” Boldir paced as she continued, picking up and inspecting a can on a nearby pile, still holding the grub in her other paw. “It was a near inevitability. That being said, you are welcome. Now, I have one request to make of you before we part ways.”

“What is it?”

“Go to the brooding caverns. If you don’t know the way yourself, I’m sure there are trolls close to you who do. When you’re there, find the one they call Bronya. She’ll be able to help you. But do not let anybody else know about this project.” She stuck her claw into the can she was holding, digging out a bug that was resting at the bottom. “Do you think you can handle all this?”

Tyzias repressed the urge to nod too eagerly. “I’ll manage,” she asserted. As she said this, Tyzias thought she saw Boldir relax a bit, as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. It was difficult to tell with the girl though, and it was just as likely her imagination.

Boldir crunched on the bugs shell, and walked up to Tyzias, gently handing her the plump infant. Tyzias took the grub, holding it carefully.

“You won’t see me again after this, but if you are successful, we will know. Good luck.” And with that, the mysterious oliveblooded girl trudged back into the darkness enveloping the lot. Tyzias looked down at the small grub, which looked back up at her in turn, cooing at her. It was difficult for her to not smile at it. She did not, however, resist ruffling its hair lightly.

Now she had to get back to her hive without anybody noticing the child. She glanced around, scanning the garbage for something she could smuggle the infant in without raising the suspicion of any trolls or drones on her way back.

When she glanced at the place where Boldir’s can had landed, she caught sight of a light teal backpack that looked like it would be perfect for the job. She wondered for a moment if Boldir had planned for her to see it. It didn’t seem unlikely, considering everything else she seemed to have intricately planned. It also didn’t seem important. It was just a bag, after all.

Looking at the grub one last time, and muttering some hushed words of comfort, she slipped it in and zipped up the pockets. She quickly checked to make sure there were no hidden holes for it to slip out of, threw the straps over her shoulders, and begun on her way back to her hive. Her heart beat a million times an hour. Being selected to dictate her entire species future was no small task, but it was one she was eager to fulfil to the best of her abilities.

When she got back to her hive, she would take a nap for the day, then begin her journey to the brooding caverns. Boldir was right in that she didn’t know the way herself, but she was also right that she knew someone who did. At the crack of dusk, she would get him to help her there. It was a high-risk plan, but Boldir had seemed confident it would work out, so Tyzias felt confident about it too.

And so she walked home, and slept, getting her rest for tomorrow.


	2. The Trek

Tyzias sat on the side of her recuperacoon, a hand on the edge and her feet on the cold ground. By some miracle, she’d managed to sleep well all through the night, more so than she had in sweeps. Her mind felt clearer already.

She got up and wiped the stray slime off of her skin, before getting dressed and finding the wiggler. She’d caged him in a corner of her room before sleeping, using various tomes she had around the room. It was a relief to find him still where she had left him. He laid on his back, snoring very softly. It appeared that he had tried to escape the enclosure, and tired himself out doing so. He looked kind of cute, Tyzias thought, as she picked him up gently. He didn’t even stir in her soft grip.

She placed him carefully back into the backpack and filled the other pocket with supplies she thought would be useful for the coming trip. Food, water, a change of clothes, a shard of a broken mug if she needed something to defend herself with, and some sopor if she needed to sleep somewhere without a recuperacoon. She also slipped in a few law books as an alibi to distract any investigators from her real mission. They doubled as reading material if she happened to get bored. 

Satisfied with her selection of supplies, she rested the bag on a nearby chair and took out her phone. She was going to need Tagora’s help now. She knew for a fact that he knew the way to the brooding caverns, mostly because of all the times he'd casually slipped that bit of information into their conversations. It seemed that now he’d be able to put his knowledge to a constructive use.

> nightlygrind: hey, soregore.
> 
> nightlygrind: i knowwww you’re awwwwake already, you’ve alwwwways been an early riser
> 
> nightlygrind: respond to me, dammmmmmmmit
> 
> bettercallgorgor: I’m here. What’s got your horns in such a tangle? *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: remmmmemmmmber howwww you alwwwways talked about wwwwanting to visit the brooding caverns?
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Yes, I do. I still want to. 
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Did you just bother me to tease me about it again? Believe it or not, I do have better things to do than listen to you harass me about my fantasies. 
> 
> bettercallgorgor: By which I mean, things I like to imagine happening because they’re interesting. *________
> 
> nightlygrind: yes tagora, i know wwwwhat you mmmmean
> 
> nightlygrind: and no, i wwwwas going to ask if you’d like to go on that trip nowwww
> 
> bettercallgorgor: What, you actually want to travel to the brooding caverns with me? You do know it’s practically a night's, journey, right?
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Whatever happened to your psychotic need to be working 24/7? What are you playing at? *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: i’mmmm not playing at anything
> 
> nightlygrind: do you wwwwant to go or not?
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Oh yes, I’d love to go. But I don’t know your reasons and quite frankly I’m a little concerned that you have ulterior motives.
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Does this have anything to do with your ‘top secret research?’ I am not going to be involved in anything that’s going to get us culled. *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: if you really wwwwant to knowwww, i have a delivery i have to mmmmake
> 
> nightlygrind: there’s a jadeblood that wants to borrowwww sommmme of my lawwww books   
> 
> 
> nightlygrind: they say they’d like to research it as a hobby, and that they heard through a friend i had an extensive library on the subject
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Oh, there’s someone involved? Someone you’d be willing to go so far out of your way for? I don’t think you’ve ever been so willing to abandon your work for so long. They must be really special to you.
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Do tell, are you two pale, or concupiscent? *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: it isn’t like that
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Then what is it like? Still a developing romance? *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: i said it’s not like that   
> 
> 
> nightlygrind: are wwwwe going to go or not?
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Sure, it's not like I have anything better to do.
> 
> bettercallgorgor: Also, I’ll be expecting sufficient payment for my services. A night is a long time to spend doing a favour for somebody. *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: how mmmmuch, $1000?
> 
> bettercallgorgor: I’m thinking another zero or two.
> 
> nightlygrind: $10000 is my highest offer
> 
> nightlygrind: its pretty mmmmuch all the mmmmoney i have, so i wwwwon’t be able to give you any mmmmore than that
> 
> bettercallgorgor: You’ve got a deal. I’ll meet you at your hive in 10 minutes. We’ll leave from there. *_________
> 
> nightlygrind: sounds good
> 
> nightlygrind: i’ll see you then

Tyzias leaned back in her chair. Though she appreciated that he was going to help her, it didn’t discount the fact that he could be infuriating at times. It also did not discount the price he’d put on his assistance. She’d practically be bone dry after the transaction. Such is the price one pays for friendship, she supposed.

When Tagora arrived, Tyzias was prepared. She already had the backpack slung over her shoulders again, grub secured safely inside, and the cash in her hand. She heard the knock on the front of her door and greeted her friend.

She opened the door quickly, as she preferred he didn’t have the chance to look inside her hive. Besides, if he made himself comfortable, there’d be no telling how long he might stall before leaving. And with an infant hidden in such close proximity, every minute was a risk of great degree.

“You’re certainly very eager. Do I not even get the chance to rest before we leave?” Tyzias huffed at his comment. “I’d prefer to get there before sunrise. I don’t want to take any chances with, you know, the huge lethal ball of fire in the sky.” He chuckled softly, nodding. “Alright, I understand. I’m not leaving until you pay me, though.” 

Tyzias handed the cash to Tagora. He took it from her hand quickly, trying to avoid touching her palms, which had begun sweating from her anxiety. 

“Thanks. For future reference though, I prefer my money unmoisturized.” He laughed at himself. Tyzias politely returned a half-laugh but was too stressed at the time to find much humour in the situation. Tagora, picking up on the awkward atmosphere, began walking, beckoning for her to follow. “It’s this direction, I know the way.” 

The two walked in silence for a while. They could both be seen periodically checking the position of the moons in the sky, staying conscious of the time before the sun rose and they would have no choice but to find shelter. Every now and then Tagora attempted to make light conversation- make a joke, or reference a meme. Tyzias continued to respond to him politely, but it was exceedingly clear that she wasn’t engaged at all. 

“Hey, Tyz, you’ve been awfully quiet this trip,” he observed. “Mhm.”

“I need to ask, are you feeling alright? I know you’ve never been that much of a talker but, and correct me if I’m wrong, you seem to be a little out of it right now.” Tyzias finally decided to respond constructively to his attempts at conversation. “I’m just… Not used to being away from my work for so long.” She left it at that, saying nothing more. Tagora nodded but didn’t seem to entirely accept the excuse. 

“You know, you can tell me if there is something else bothering you. I’d be a pretty awful friend if I didn’t listen to you when you were upset.” She huffed. “I told you it’s nothing. You can lay off, Tagora.” He quickly went back to minding his own business. He stopped trying to make light conversation, and although the atmosphere remained just as awkward as before, they both knew that speaking again would just make it even more so. 

That was until the two looked up to check the moons a few hours later, only to find them covered by the edges of some dark clouds.

“That does not look ideal,” Tagora commented, glancing at Tyzias. She had a slight grimace on her face, so he knew that she had noticed as well. “We need to find shelter,” she said. “I might want to get to the caverns as quickly as possible, but preferably not at the cost of my life.” Tagora chuckled. That was the closest she’d come to making a joke all day. She made a face at him in response.

“We could ask someone in the neighbourhood to let us into-“

“No!” Tyzias yelled, uncharacteristically panicked. Tagora stared at her for a few seconds, caught off guard. She also seemed to have surprised herself, if her regretful expression was any indicator. Tagora broke the silence.

“But if we don’t take refuge in one of the houses, then what  _ should _ we do?” Tyzias regained her composure, looking around. “I… don’t know,” she answered. “I don’t know.”

Tagora looked around as well. He would be lying if he said he knew what to say. He knew that Tyzias always seemed to get this stressed when she was entrenched in her ‘secret research,’ and while she wasn’t dangerous, he knew that if he tried to say something that he’d probably make it worse. The clouds were rolling in fast, though. Perhaps he had to risk upsetting her, if only because their lives may depend on it.

“Look, Tyzias, I don’t know what it is that you actually have in that backpack. But unless you don’t mind getting dissolved, I think we may have no choice but to bunker down in a stranger’s hive for a while.” He looked at her, waiting for her to say something. She did not, so he continued. “This doesn’t look like a dangerous neighbourhood. I’m sure we’ll be relatively safe.”

She still didn’t respond. She didn’t know how. The grub would be getting restless before the night ended, and if they were in a stranger’s hive when he woke up, he’d most certainly be discovered. She didn’t like her chances, no matter how safe the neighbourhood seemed.

“We’ll keep going,” she finally said, walking in the direction Tagora had been leading her. He hesitated for a few seconds, trying to comprehend why she would risk her life in the toxic Alternian rain.

“You do know we’ll die out here if we don’t find shelter, right?” There was a hint of panic in his voice. “I know. It’ll be worth the risk, trust me.”

“Tyzias, those clouds are going to be over us in less than thirty minutes. We have to get undercover, now.” His voice was now stern, not because he was mad, but because he was afraid. Tyzias shook her head and kept walking. “We’ll work out what to do when the rain hits. We can’t get anybody else involved.” 

Tagora, now visibly worried about the situation, yelled. “Did you bring us out here to die, Tyzias?!” She stopped walking and turned to him. “Do you want  _ me _ to die?” he continued. She looked down, knowing how irrationally she’d been acting.

“I’m… just tired,” she lied again, pausing as she thought up an excuse. “You’re always tired. You’ve never acted like this before. One tealblood to another, can’t you tell me what’s actually wrong?”

It was quiet for a few moments until Tyzias responded. “No.”   
She sighed, weighing her options for a few more moments. “This isn’t too far from the brooding caverns, is it? Maybe we could find somebody who knows who I’m trying to find.”

“Tell me their name then, we can ask around. And if nobody knows them then I swear, I will be finding a place to stay whether you like it or not.” 

Tyzias hesitated, thinking about whether or not it would be dangerous to tell him. She decided that there was no way telling him this trolls name could be any more dangerous than facing the storm head on. “Bronya,” she responded, her voice noticeably more quiet than usual. “Bronya,” Tagora repeated to himself. “I don’t believe I’ve heard that name before.”  He shrugged, walking up to a nearby hive. “I guess I can’t know everybody on this planet.”

He lifted his hand to knock on the door but stopped short. Tyzias’ ears pricked, picking up on the same noise that had stopped Tagora short. The faint noise of what sounded like an infant. Tyzias began to sweat slightly, as the panic quickly set in. Then they heard the noise again. A small squeaking noise. Or rather, much to Tyzias’ bewilderment, a honk.   

Tagora stepped away from the door, peeking around the corner of the hive, where the sound was originating from. Tyzias saw him step back in surprise. He stared for a few more seconds, seconds Tyzias spent approaching him so she could see as well. 

“Tyzias… It’s a purpleblood infant,” he announced to her as she strolled up next to him. A primal sense of fear froze her in place as well. They both knew that highbloods of any age were bad news. There was a collection of knives hung around the child’s belt, and even if there weren’t, they’d still consider him a threat. 

“Let’s go find somewhere else to stay.” Tagora began backing away slowly, tugging at Tyzias’ sleeve. 

“Honk!” His retreat seemed to irritate the child. Tyzias stood her ground.  _ This  _ seemed to irritate  _ Tagora _ , who was more verbal about his discomfort. “It doesn’t even have to be this neighbourhood, Tyzias. We’ll find somewhere else-” He cut himself off when the child glared in his direction. Tyzias instinctively put a hand on her backpack. “I don’t think he wants us to leave, Tagora.” 

The highblooded youth looked at Tyzias as she talked. He looked at her backpack, and scurried up to her, taking a hold of her other sleeve. She quickly pulled her arm away, causing him to snarl. The infant let go, hobbling into the open street, pointing at the incoming clouds. They’d darkened considerably by this point, and the two could see that everybody in the neighbourhood had already put up their protective curtains and locked their doors. It was unlikely that anybody here would be all too happy to let them in at this point. Then, the child sprinted off into the nearby flora. 

Tyzias glanced up at the sky. She didn’t need much convincing at this point and made the split-second decision to run after him. “Hey, what are you doing!!” Tagora called, having no choice but to follow them. Tyzias was too busy keeping track of the infant to call back to him. 

Leaves nicked at Tyzias’ skin, and she barely dodged a few of the more acidic plants, but when she collapsed in the cave that the child had led her to, she was mostly unscathed. Tagora followed soon after, collapsing next to her. They both heaved from the exercise, sitting beside each other on the ground. After a few minutes, the rain set in, pattering against the nearby cave floor. At this point, Tagora broke the silence. 

“What  _ WAS _ that?!” he exclaimed, waving his hands in a grand motion. “What has gotten into you, Tyzias?! We could have died! And we very nearly  _ DID _ !!! If it wasn’t for this overly generous juggalo infant, we would both be rotting on the pavement right now. Why are you acting like this??” She flinched at both the volume and tone of his voice. She really did owe him an explanation at this point, but she didn’t know how to give it to him. Fortunately for her, it seemed that she wouldn’t have to wonder for long.

Tagora looked past Tyzias’ shoulder, rolling his eyes. “Get out of her bag. I don’t recall her giving anybody permission to rummage through her personal belongings.” As soon as he said this, Tyzias sat up straight, startled. She quickly took the bag off and turned around, planning to zip it back up. Luckily, the troll had only unzipped the pocket with the sopor in it. He scurried away at her sudden movement, watching from the wall of the cave. 

Tyzias heard a squeaking noise as he reached the wall, and turned to shush him. But then she heard the noise again and realised what the source of the noise was. The infant hesitantly moved closer to the bag, as Tagora moved a little further away. “Tyzias, that wasn’t the purpleblood,” he observed shakily. 

“Oh, please don’t tell me. You don’t have a  _ grub  _ in there do you?” Tyzias once again did not offer a verbal reply. This time, she didn’t even need to. 

“Where in the world did you even get a grub from? We are a night’s walk away from the nearest brooding cavern, and that’s at  _ our _ pace. There’s no way you could have just  _ found _ a grub all the way by your hive, not one that was alive, anyway!” She opened her mouth to respond, but he continued talking before she was able to speak a word.

“Get it out of the bag, that is no place to be keeping wigglers.” She again tried to speak, but this time the infant purpleblood rushed to the bag again and unzipped the grub’s pocket before she could react. The child then ran in front of both the teals, holding it up for a few moments to investigate it himself. The grub blinked its eyes and looked around confusedly, seeming to have just woken up from a sleep. This time, Tagora didn’t voice his surprise. Instead, he sat there for a full minute, mouth gaping open, barely able to form any words. Eventually, he began to make sounds. “I- I- Is-” Tyzias interrupted him, her voice shaky. “He’s red,” she said, hesitantly. He continued to stare. “A mutant,” she confirmed. He moved his eyes from the grub to her face. “And you have it in your  _ bag _ ?”

“Yes.” Tagora leaned back, one hand on the ground, another on his forehead. The child, seemingly over with his investigation, placed the grub back on the cold floor. This prompted the younger of the two to begin crying. Tyzias quickly took her backpack off and rummaged through it. She pulled out one of the shirts she’d packed earlier, placed it on the ground, and gently put the grub on top. It quickly stopped crying, snuggling into the warm fabric. Tagora watched, a little amazed.

“You know, I think that maybe you were born into the wrong caste. You’d make a fine grubsitter,” he joked. Tyzias breathed a laugh. “Maybe so. I think I’m content with being a teal though.” 

Beginning to calm down, Tyzias looked to the purpleblood. “Hey, thanks for helping us out before. You can’t tell anybody about this though, okay?” He tilted his head for a moment, face in a thoughtful expression, then nodded. “Do you have a name? I don’t want to have to keep calling you ‘you.’” He grinned and stumbled over to her, making a small “honk” noise. When he saw that she was confused, he pointed to the pendant hanging around his neck. Tyzias maintained her confused expression until she held it and turned it over. Engraved onto the gold disc was his name, Karako Pierot, and contact information for Bronya Ursama. Tyzias eyes widened, reading the name twice just to make sure. 

“What? What is it?” Tagora pestered. “It’s her!” Tyzias exclaimed. “That’s why you helped us out, wasn’t it? You heard us talking about her.” Karako nodded, tapping his foot on the ground excitedly. “The jadeblood, you mean?” Tagora asked for confirmation. “He knows her?” 

“I assume so.” 

“Can he show us where she is?” Karako tapped his foot faster. Tyzias transcribed his excitement into words. “If that’s any sort of confirmation, I believe that he can.” Tagora stood up quickly. “Well? Let’s go then.” Tyzias wrapped the grub up in the shirt so that it’s colour was indiscernible, then placed it back in the bag. “I don’t want him to get upset again. I imagine backpack fabric doesn't make for the most comfortable bed.” Tagora nodded as Tyzias stood as well. Karako quickly ran deeper into the cave, pausing before he reached the darkness.

“I suppose we can get into the caverns from here,” said Tagora, as he began to follow. Tyzias slipped her backpack onto her shoulders and followed suit. “I think you’re correct.”

They both followed the child into the darkness, walking beside each other. “You know, I didn’t expect you to be so supportive of this. I mean, looking after a mutant grub? That is kind of a big deal.” Tagora glanced at Tyzias as she talked. “Of course it’s a big deal. You think I didn’t know that?” She shook her head. “But why are you so okay with it?” 

“If you’re dead, I won’t ever be able to get more money from you,” he responded matter-of-factly. Tyzias sighed. Of course, he was only thinking about the financial benefits. “I suppose you’ll have me pay you to keep a lid on it, huh?” 

“Yes, I may have you buy my permanent silence on the matter.” He grinned impudently, then slowly let his expression fade to one more genuine. “Also, you’re a good friend. I wouldn’t want to lose you because of this.” 

Tyzias was caught off guard by his appreciation. She looked at him, about to continue, before they saw light begin to pour in from a corridor to the cavern. It seemed that it had shifted to daytime during their trek through the cave. At this point, Karako began to sprint on all fours towards the entrance. While the light was powerful enough to be visible, they were deep enough in the cavern already that it wasn’t a problem, so the two let him run ahead. They picked up their paces themselves, eager to find the jadeblood they’d come all this way for.

As Karako ran through the natural doorway, a jadeblood did indeed come into view. Her skirt brushed against the gravel on the ground, rustling as she walked.

“Karako!” She yelled harshly. Tyzias and Tagora jumped, startled by her shrill tone. “I told you not to leave the caverns for too long! I’ve been worried  _ sick _ about you! Where have you been!?” The jade rested her hands on her hips. “You think that’s her?” Tagora whispered to Tyzias. The sound of his voice alerted the Jade to their presence. She drew a small blade from a pocket in her skirt.

“Who’s there!! Do not make me bloody my knife any more than necessary!” Tyzias and Tagora both froze. They certainly hoped that this was not the troll they were looking for. “Are you going to answer me, or not?” Karako nervously stood back from her, watching the scene like a frightened animal.

“We’re here to see Bronya,” Tyzias spat out, figuring it was the best chance they had to actually find out where she was. Her response didn’t seem to impress the jadeblood, or perhaps it was impressive in the wrong sort of way. The troll put a hand on her chest and gasped. “I can _ not _ allow you to do that!” 

“Please, miss. We just found this poor troll,” Tagora beckoned to Karako, “and wanted to return him to his rightful caregiver. Won’t you let us make sure that he gets there unscathed?” Tyzias glanced at Tagora, gratefulness present in her expression, and they both saw the jadeblood’s knife hand droop. “I can see to that for you. You have no reason to be here any longer. Leave.” 

“Actually, we wanted to be with him until we know he’s safe. No offence, but we have no way of knowing whether you actually plan on getting him back safely or not.” The stranger paused for a moment, glanced down at the knife she was holding towards them, then pocketed it with a huff. “Fine. You can come along. But if you try anything, you WILL pay the price.” Exchanging worried glances, the two tealbloods walked together into the light, revealing themselves to the stranger, who quickly turned around and walked into the cave. The two friends and the smaller purpleblood followed behind.


End file.
